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extortionist

extortionist

10 8.6
A person who gets money by threatening to tell secrets
  • noun
  • /ɪkˈstɔːrʃənɪst/
translation icon : extorsionador
  • She felt threatened by the extortionist who claimed to have incriminating evidence against her.
  • kidnapper and extortionist
  • murderers, extortionists
  • extortionist accusations

He works in the night as a extortionist.

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Examples

  • But building management received a note that I can only characterize as extortionist in nature.

  • But equally important in understanding this man is recognizing that he is also an alleged extortionist.

    Blog text (27)
  • I know she is not evil, nor is she an extortionist.

    Blog text (24)
  • No doubt many of them have seen tourist photo stands, the ones offering instant pictures at extortionist prices.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Weberman is also alleged to be an extortionist.

    Blog text (27)
  • Now, the government's got witnesses that'll tell you that Joseph Scassi is an extortionist.

  • The police arrested an extortionist who demanded money in exchange for not releasing private information.

  • An extortionist approached the business owner, threatening to disclose damaging secrets unless he was paid.

Synonyms

blackmailer
vsextortionist
  • NSFW
18 6.3

A person who threatens to reveal private things to get money

focuses on threats to expose private damaging information rather than other coercion
extortioner
vsextortionist
1 9.0

A person who makes someone give money or other things using threats

emphasizes threats to reveal private damaging information over broader coercion
extorter
vsextortionist
8.9

A person who uses threats or force to get money from others

relies more on threats to reveal private information rather than physical force

How Intimidating

terrorist
  • NSFW
747 6.2
extortionist
10 8.6
threatener
1 5.8
intimidator
1 7.5

Surface Forms

extortionist singular
extortionists plural

Morphology

extortionist = extortion (transparent) = extort + ion + ist

'Extortionist' is formed from the noun 'extortion' plus the agentive suffix '-ist', yielding a person who commits extortion.

Etymology

Extortionist comes from Latin parts meaning 'out' (ex-) and 'to twist' (the same root you see in torture and distort). So an extortionist is someone who 'twists' money out of people by threats, which is why it means a person who forces others to pay.